TARGET GROUPS
Excluded communities and young people in north-east Brazil and north-east England, broadening intercultural understanding and working for inclusive local and global development.

GEOGRAPHICAL CONTEXT
UK, South America

COMPANY POLICY
Develops community and cultural links between Brazil and Britain to broaden understanding and to work for inclusive development, primarily through community arts, co-operation and exchange.

Believes that excluded communities in north-east England and north-east Brazil have challenges in common and that community arts are powerful, accessible and participatory tools for development. By partnering these communities in their creative fight for inclusion, it can strengthen this work, facilitate learning and effect positive change in both regions. Estrela has experience of delivering ACD training to non-arts professionals and community artists.

SCALE OF PROJECTS
Number of practitioners: 2-5
Number of participants: 200-500
Preparation time: 200-600 hours
Contact time: 200-600 hours

PERMANENT STAFF
Susie Warburton, Resource and Development Worker (UK)
Julia McNaught, Voluntary Links Worker (Brazil)

Case Study
Using participatory and creative methods, Balanca aims to raise awareness and generate action on global development issues, working alongside NGOs and popular groups in Salvador and rural Bahia.

Working with women, young people, community performers, educators and outreach workers, the project has facilitated workshops, collective devising and led to community/street performances by the project participants on issues that include sex tourism, debt, fair trade, valuing local culture and globalisation.

Giant Puppets and Popular Theatre from Brazil (UK, 2002)
This six -week summer exchange initiative brought Gueto Politico, a street and popular theatre group from Bahia, north-east Brazil, to Britain work alongside youth and community arts initiatives, primarily in north-east England, sharing their skills in foam puppetry and street theatre and exchanging creative experiences of tackling exclusion.

The project incorporated workshops, street parades, festival performances and learning exchange visits with arts practitioners, young people, minority ethnic and learning disabled groups, highlighted the wealth of cultural diversity and global interdependence.

Brazilliant
Developing understanding of the causes of poverty and exclusion locally and globally by engaging young people from England in Brazilian polar artforms, youth and community movements (UK, 2003-04).

Strategy
Global education and capacity building with youth and excluded communities in England and Brazil, via libraries, workshops, public events, bilingual publications and input to regional and international strategies (UK/Brazil, 2003-07)